Juventus Looking To Bin Off Cristiano Ronaldo By The End Of The Season

Juventus want to get rid of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Yes, you really did read that correctly.

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Even at the age of 35, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is one of the most prolific goal scorers in the world and arguably one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game.

But despite all that, the Old Lady is keen to part ways with him.

And in all honesty, you can kind of see why - well, sort of.

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According to Spanish outlet Sport, Italian heavyweights Juve want the Portuguese megastar off their wage bill and are willing to take offers as early as next summer.

Ronaldo rakes in a reported AU$50.3million each year in Turin which is around AU$967,000-a-week - that's nearly four times as much as the club's second-highest earner Matthijs de Ligt.

And when you add in his multi-million-dollar sponsorship deal with American sportswear giants Nike, it's safe to say the bloke is doing pretty well for himself considering he's in the twilight of his career.

But for someone who is supposed to be in the 'back end of their playing days', Ronaldo seems to be doing alright on the pitch and recently became Europe's top scorer for 2020 after finding the back of the net against Lazio over the weekend.

Which makes Juventus' reasons for wanting to sell him even more bemusing.

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From a financial standpoint, it might make sense.

Cashing-in on an ageing player before his contract ends in 2022, fair enough.

But from a performance standpoint, you can't help but question it - especially if you're a Juve fan who's hungry for European silverware.

With Andrea Pirlo at the helm and Ronaldo leading the line, this current Juventus team appears to be within touching distance of winning the Champions League.

And removing the biggest piece of the puzzle seems ludicrous to say the least.

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But if it means saving a buck or two, so be it.

Don't expect the Juventus faithful to take it well though.

As for potential suitors, apparently there's some team over in Manchester screaming out for a half-decent striker.

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Transfers, Juventus, Australia, Cristiano Ronaldo

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry